Combined plug and sealing ring for sprinkler nozzle and related methods
A combined plug and sealing ring for a sprinkler nozzle includes a nozzle plug having a substantially cylindrical portion adapted to engage within a nozzle orifice of a sprinkler nozzle, and a cap overlaying the substantially cylindrical portion. A sealing ring is adapted to seat onto a threaded pipe fitting portion of the sprinkler nozzle. A leash interconnects the nozzle plug and the sealing ring. A combined plug and sealing ring in combination with a sprinkler nozzle, and a method of installing a sprinkler nozzle in a highly corrosive or extremely corrosive environment are also disclosed.
Latest FM Global Technologies, LLC Patents:
- System valve activation methods for deluge-like wet pipe sprinkler system
- Corrosion resistant sprinklers, nozzles, and related fire protection components and systems
- Temperature and moisture probe
- Roof air make-up for exhaust of fire smoke
- Characterization of mist sprays using a phase-doppler particle analyzer and an iso-kinetic sampling probe
The present application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/000,060, filed Dec. 7, 2007, the entire content of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELDThis patent application relates generally to plugs and sealing rings for sprinkler nozzles used in fire protection systems. More specifically, this patent application relates to combined plugs and sealing rings for use with sprinkler nozzles intended for highly corrosive and extremely corrosive environments, and related methods.
BACKGROUNDMany industrial facilities, such as large metallurgical smelters, steel industry pickling lines, semiconductor fabrication facilities, pulp and paper plants, inorganic chemical facilities, and power generation plants, generate extremely corrosive exhaust fumes, smoke, and particles during their operational processes. Various ductwork systems can be employed to remove or filter these hazardous wastes from the facilities. The ductwork systems are typically fabricated from combustible plastics such as polypropylene, chlorinated polyvinyl chloride, and fiberglass reinforced plastic. The ducts can be up to twelve feet in diameter, and can be hundreds of feet long, with various interconnecting vessels. Loss of a ductwork system due to fire can result in total shutdown of a key process or the entire plant for an extended period of time, and can lead to sizeable losses.
The environment inside the ductwork systems is typically extremely corrosive. High concentrations of inorganic acids, such as sulfuric, nitric, and hydrochloric acids, are often present in the ducts. In addition, the temperature inside the ducts may be very high, sometimes 100° C. or higher, and abrasive particles, such as metal, dust, and ash, may pass through the ducts at a high velocity, for example 40 miles/hour, or more. Thus, the environment inside the ducts can rapidly corrode or otherwise damage metallic structures, such as fire protection components (e.g., sprinkler nozzles).
Sprinkler nozzles have been developed that can withstand the highly corrosive environments mentioned above, for example, the sprinkler nozzles described in applicant's co-owned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0308285 A1, the entire content of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.
In order to prevent corrosive gasses from entering the sprinkler nozzle and/or associated piping, it is advantageous to fit a plug inside the nozzle orifice. However, high flow rates and/or turbulence inside the ductwork systems can cause the plugs to become dislodged from the nozzle orifice, and lost. In addition, conventional plugs and their retention means may tend to deteriorate under highly corrosive and extremely corrosive conditions. Furthermore, the sprinkler nozzle threads utilizing conventional sealing methods are vulnerable to corrosion and may tend to deteriorate under highly corrosive and extremely corrosive conditions. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for nozzle plugs, sealing rings, and leashes that overcome these and other drawbacks of the prior art.
SUMMARYA combined plug and sealing ring for a sprinkler nozzle comprises: a nozzle plug having a substantially cylindrical portion adapted to engage within a nozzle orifice of a sprinkler nozzle, and a cap overlaying the substantially cylindrical portion; a sealing ring adapted to seat onto a threaded pipe fitting portion of the sprinkler nozzle; and a leash interconnecting the nozzle plug and the sealing ring.
A combined plug and sealing ring in combination with a sprinkler nozzle comprises: a sprinkler nozzle including a threaded pipe fitting portion and a nozzle orifice; and a combined plug and sealing ring comprising: a nozzle plug having a substantially cylindrical portion adapted to engage within the nozzle orifice of the sprinkler nozzle, a cap overlaying the substantially cylindrical portion, a sealing ring adapted to seat onto the threaded pipe fitting portion of the sprinkler nozzle, and a leash interconnecting the nozzle plug and the sealing ring.
A method of installing a sprinkler nozzle in a highly corrosive or extremely corrosive environment comprises: seating a sealing ring onto a threaded pipe fitting portion of the sprinkler nozzle; inserting a substantially cylindrical portion of a nozzle plug into a nozzle orifice of the sprinkler nozzle until a cap of the nozzle plug seats against an upper edge of the nozzle orifice, the nozzle plug interconnected with the sealing ring; and threading the threaded pipe fitting portion of the sprinkler nozzle into a mounting block to thereby mount the sprinkler nozzle in the highly corrosive or extremely corrosive environment.
Further objectives and advantages, as well as the structure and function of preferred embodiments, will become apparent from a consideration of the description, drawings, and examples.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular description, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally-similar, and/or structurally similar elements.
Embodiments of the invention are discussed in detail below. In describing embodiments, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected. While specific embodiments are discussed, it should be understood that this is done for illustration purposes only. A person skilled in the relevant art will recognize that other components and configurations can be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All references cited herein are incorporated by reference as if each had been individually incorporated.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
As stated previously, the leash 16 connects the nozzle plug 12 and the sealing ring 14 together. The leash 16 can serve to prevent loss of the nozzle plug 12 in the event it becomes dislodged from the nozzle orifice 23, for example, due to turbulent air flow around the sprinkler nozzle 20. In addition, the leash 16 can facilitate easy and accurate field installation of the sealing ring 14 and nozzle plug 12. According to an embodiment, the nozzle plug 12, sealing ring 14, and leash 16 can be integral with one another. For example, they may be co-molded with one another. In order to facilitate sighting of a dislodged nozzle plug 12 upon inspection, the nozzle plug 12 can be specifically colored and/or constructed, e.g., enlarged. Additionally or alternatively, the position and/or construction of the leash can be configured to facilitate easy sighting of the nozzle plug 12, when dislodged.
Referring to
The leash 16 can include a first end 16a that is connected to the cap portion 24 of the nozzle plug 12, for example, is co-molded therewith. The leash 16 can include a second end 16b that is connected to the sealing ring 14, for example, is co-molded with. The second end 16b of the leash 16 can extend from the sealing ring 14 in a substantially radial direction, as shown in
Referring to
Still referring to
Still referring to
According to embodiments, the nozzle plug 12, sealing ring 14, and leash 16 can be co-molded from a polymer that exhibits resistance to corrosion. For example, the polymer may exhibit high resistance to highly corrosive environments such as HF/HNO3, H2SO4, and/or HCl acids. According to an embodiment, the nozzle plug 12, sealing ring 14, and leash 16 can be co-molded from a fluoroelastomer (fluorocarbon-based synthetic rubber), such as FKM-fluoroelastomers, FFKM-perfluoro-elastomers, and FEPM-tetrafluoro-ethylene/propylene rubbers. According to an embodiment, the nozzle plug 12, sealing ring 14, and leash 16 are co-molded from FKM P959 perfluoroelastomer without ZnO, which is available from Solvay SA, rue du Prince Albert 33, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium.
Referring to
According to an embodiment, the sprinkler nozzle 20 can comprise a corrosion-resistant sprinkler nozzle of the type disclosed in applicant's co-owned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0308285 A1, the entire content of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. According to an embodiment, all or a portion of the sprinkler nozzle 20 can comprise a base substrate made from C22, C276, C2000, G30, or 1686 alloy, and a corrosion resistant coating of ECTFE or ETFE formed over the base substrate, however, other configurations are possible.
With respect to
The embodiments illustrated and discussed in this specification are intended only to teach those skilled in the art the best way known to the inventors to make and use the invention. Nothing in this specification should be considered as limiting the scope of the present invention. All examples presented are representative and non-limiting. The above-described embodiments of the invention may be modified or varied, without departing from the invention, as appreciated by those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
Claims
1. A combined plug and sealing ring for a sprinkler nozzle, comprising:
- a nozzle plug having a substantially cylindrical portion adapted to engage within a nozzle orifice of a sprinkler nozzle, and a cap overlaying the substantially cylindrical portion;
- a thread sealing ring adapted to seat onto and seal a threaded pipe fitting portion of the sprinkler nozzle, the threaded pipe fitting portion defining an outermost thread diameter, wherein the thread sealing ring defines a sealing ring outer diameter that is larger than the outermost thread diameter; and
- a leash interconnecting the nozzle plug and the thread sealing ring, wherein the nozzle plug, thread sealing ring, and leash are monolithic and are co-molded from a corrosion-resistant polymer.
2. The combined plug and sealing ring of claim 1, wherein the corrosion-resistant polymer comprises a fluoroelastomer.
3. The combined plug and sealing ring of claim 2, wherein the corrosion-resistant polymer comprises a fluoroelastomer selected from the group consisting of FKM-fluoroelastomers, FFKM-perfluoro-elastomers, or FEPM-tetrafluoro-ethylene/propylene rubbers.
4. The combined plug and sealing ring of claim 1, wherein the leash includes a first end connected to the cap and a second end connected to the thread sealing ring and extending substantially radially from the thread sealing ring.
5. The combined plug and sealing ring of claim 1, wherein the substantially cylindrical portion of the nozzle plug defines an outer diameter that is equal to or greater than an inner diameter of the nozzle orifice of the sprinkler nozzle.
6. A combined plug and sealing ring in combination with a sprinkler nozzle, comprising:
- a sprinkler nozzle including a threaded pipe fitting portion and a nozzle orifice; and
- a combined plug and sealing ring comprising: a nozzle plug having a substantially cylindrical portion adapted to engage within the nozzle orifice of the sprinkler nozzle, a cap overlaying the substantially cylindrical portion, and a thread sealing ring adapted to seat onto and seal the threaded pipe fitting portion of the sprinkler nozzle, the threaded pipe fitting portion defining an outermost thread diameter, wherein the thread sealing ring defines a sealing ring outer diameter that is larger than the outermost thread diameter, and a leash interconnecting the nozzle plug and the thread sealing ring, wherein the nozzle plug, thread sealing ring, and leash are monolithic and are co-molded from a corrosion-resistant polymer.
7. The combination of claim 6, wherein the corrosion resistant-polymer comprises a fluoroelastomer.
8. The combination of claim 7, wherein the corrosion-resistant polymer comprises a fluoroelastomer selected from the group consisting of FKM-fluoroelastomers, FFKM-perfluoro-elastomers, or FEPM-tetrafluoro-ethylene/propylene rubbers.
9. The combination of claim 6, wherein the leash includes a first end connected to the cap and a second end connected to the thread sealing ring and extending substantially radially from the thread sealing ring.
10. The combination of claim 6, wherein the nozzle orifice of the sprinkler nozzle defines an inner diameter, and the substantially cylindrical portion of the nozzle plug defines an outer diameter that is equal to or greater than the inner diameter of the nozzle orifice.
11. The combination of claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the sprinkler nozzle comprises a base substrate selected from the group consisting of C22, C276, C2000, G30, or I686, and a corrosion resistant coating formed over the base substrate, the corrosion resistant coating selected from the group consisting of ECTFE or ETFE, further wherein the corrosion-resistant polymer of the combined plug and sealing ring comprises a fluoroelastomer selected from the group consisting of FKM-fluoroelastomers, FFKM-perfluoro-elastomers, or FEPM-tetrafluoro-ethylene/propylene rubbers.
12. A method of installing a sprinkler nozzle in a highly corrosive or extremely corrosive environment, comprising:
- seating a thread sealing ring onto a threaded pipe fitting portion of the sprinkler nozzle, the threaded pipe fitting portion defining an outermost thread diameter wherein the thread sealing ring defines a sealing ring outer diameter that is larger than the outermost thread diameter;
- inserting a substantially cylindrical portion of a nozzle plug into a nozzle orifice of the sprinkler nozzle until a cap of the nozzle plug seats against an upper edge of the nozzle orifice, the nozzle plug interconnected with the thread sealing ring; and
- threading the threaded pipe fitting portion of the sprinkler nozzle into a mounting block to thereby mount the sprinkler nozzle in the highly corrosive or extremely corrosive environment, wherein the thread sealing ring forms a seal between the threaded pipe fitting portion and the mounting block;
- wherein the nozzle plug, thread sealing ring, and leash are monolithic and are co-molded from a corrosion-resistant polymer.
13. A method of installing a sprinkler nozzle in a highly corrosive or extremely corrosive environment, comprising:
- seating a thread sealing ring onto a threaded pipe fitting portion of the sprinkler nozzle, the threaded pipe fitting portion defining an outermost thread diameter, wherein the thread sealing ring defines a sealing ring outer diameter that is larger than the outermost thread diameter;
- inserting a substantially cylindrical portion of a nozzle plug into a nozzle orifice of the sprinkler nozzle until a cap of the nozzle plug seats against an upper edge of the nozzle orifice, the nozzle plug interconnected with the thread sealing ring; and
- threading the threaded pipe fitting portion of the sprinkler nozzle into a mounting block to thereby mount the sprinkler nozzle in the highly corrosive or extremely corrosive environment, wherein the thread sealing ring forms a seal between the threaded pipe fitting portion and the mounting block;
- wherein the nozzle plug, thread sealing ring, and leash are monolithic and are co-molded from a corrosion-resistant polymer, wherein the environment comprises a duct that transports HF/HNO3, H2SO4, and/or HCl acids.
14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
- re-inserting the substantially cylindrical portion of the nozzle plug into the nozzle orifice after the substantially cylindrical portion dislodges from the nozzle orifice.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein the corrosion-resistant polymer comprises a fluoroelastomer.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the corrosion-resistant polymer comprises a fluoroelastomer selected from the group consisting of FKM-fluoroelastomers, FFKM-perfluoro-elastomers, or FEPM-tetrafluoro-ethylene/propylene rubbers.
17. The method of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the sprinkler nozzle comprises a base substrate selected from the group consisting of C22,C276, C2000, G30, or I686, and a corrosion resistant coating formed over the base substrate, the corrosion resistant coating selected from the group consisting of ECTFE or ETFE, further wherein the corrosion-resistant polymer of the combined plug and sealing ring comprises a fluoroelastomer selected from the group consisting of FKM-fluoroelastomers, FFKM-perfluoro-elastomers, or FEPM-tetrafluoro-ethylene/propylene rubbers.
18. The combined plug and sealing ring of claim 1, wherein the thread sealing ring is adapted to seal continuously around the perimeter of the threaded pipe fitting portion of the sprinkler nozzle.
19. The combination of claim 6, wherein the thread sealing ring is adapted to seal continuously around the perimeter of the threaded pipe fitting portion of the sprinkler nozzle.
20. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
- sealing continuously around the perimeter of the threaded pipe fitting portion of the sprinkler nozzle with the thread sealing ring.
3393746 | July 1968 | Hodnett |
3698483 | October 1972 | Martin et al. |
4099573 | July 11, 1978 | Sahara |
4395303 | July 26, 1983 | Weir |
4533414 | August 6, 1985 | Asphahani |
4749321 | June 7, 1988 | Knohl et al. |
5505383 | April 9, 1996 | Fischer |
5628367 | May 13, 1997 | Truax et al. |
5713524 | February 3, 1998 | Greene et al. |
5879818 | March 9, 1999 | Kinomura et al. |
5921322 | July 13, 1999 | Bonfield et al. |
6037061 | March 14, 2000 | Ohmi |
6112821 | September 5, 2000 | Yokoi |
6207241 | March 27, 2001 | Mody et al. |
6296062 | October 2, 2001 | Sundholm |
6345670 | February 12, 2002 | Sundholm |
6347669 | February 19, 2002 | Sundholm |
6454017 | September 24, 2002 | Fischer et al. |
6561218 | May 13, 2003 | Mudd |
6749894 | June 15, 2004 | Subramanian et al. |
6808802 | October 26, 2004 | Lynn |
7192638 | March 20, 2007 | Tomihashi et al. |
7485199 | February 3, 2009 | Sugahara |
8220556 | July 17, 2012 | Retzloff et al. |
20030192430 | October 16, 2003 | Pearlstein et al. |
20040134670 | July 15, 2004 | Orr et al. |
20060060671 | March 23, 2006 | Orr et al. |
20060104806 | May 18, 2006 | Giesler et al. |
20070014706 | January 18, 2007 | Herden et al. |
20070075503 | April 5, 2007 | Hayashi et al. |
20070224244 | September 27, 2007 | Weber et al. |
- Halar® Powder Coatings ECTFE, printed Jul. 28, 2010, Plas-Tech Coatings, http://www.plastechcoatings.com/halar—coating.html.
- “Torlon® Al-10 Coatings,” Solvay Advanced Polymers, Technical Bulletin, 2006.
- J. Idris Jones, “The Reaction of Hydrazine With Polyimides, and Its Utility,” J. Polymer Science, Part C, No. 22, pp. 773-784, 1969.
- Solvent & Chemical Resistance Information, Carlisle, pp. 140-141.
Type: Grant
Filed: May 25, 2011
Date of Patent: Dec 17, 2013
Patent Publication Number: 20120132446
Assignee: FM Global Technologies, LLC (Johnston, RI)
Inventors: John Harrington (Medfield, MA), Paul Po-Cheng Su (East Setauket, NY), David Fuller (Millville, MA)
Primary Examiner: Len Tran
Assistant Examiner: Alexander M Valvis
Application Number: 13/067,335
International Classification: A62C 37/08 (20060101); B05B 1/34 (20060101);